Health minister warns about MPox outbreak
Minister Phaahla said that three of the five patients are in KZN and the other two in Gauteng
At a media briefing today (June 12), the Department of Health warned citizens about the outbreak of MPox, better known as monkey pox.
Speaking to the media in Pretoria, Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla said that five people have been diagnosed with the disease in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, and one of them passed away at Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng on Monday.
Phaahla also revealed that those found to be infected with the virus are males between the age of 30 and 39, without any travel history.
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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), all cases were classified as severe and required hospitalisation. Two patients are still in hospital and two have been discharged; one completely, while the other is being monitored at home. The fifth patient sadly passed away.
However, Phaahla said that people should not panic, adding that the disease is not like Covid-19; it’s not spreading quickly. It is not a virus that can be transmitted simply by being in the same room. Unlike what we had with Covid-19, there must be contact between people or skin-to-skin contact.
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